This new moon stands as a symbolic gateway--the configurations beckon for our awareness, luring us deeper into the numinous and unseen. What truly lies behind the veil, beneath the illusion we call "reality"? What's really going on? What's really happening--is anyone in control? When faced with the seemingly insurmountable climb toward higher perception, truth, or "enlightenment"--we realize in our struggle that no one is in control--control is an illusion--that everything is mostly "beingness" in motion, and that life is a spiral, a pathway of evolution through which we may never truly grasp the end of the line--for it spins, it churns, infinitely, for all eternity. Such is our role--to dance beside the universe, to flow, to spiral both downward and upward in conscious surrender. This New Moon invites us to look deeply at our delusions. Where have we lost sight of our dance partner, the universe, and gone off creating our own steps--which, in our ingrained sense of superiority--are perceived more advanced than the original choreography.

Neptune joins the New Moon is Pisces--further exacerbating this intangible influx--everything seems to slip right though our hands. What can we hold on to now? What can we look to for solace, comfort, or support? When the floor beneath your feet melts into oblivion, where do you stand? This sense of "fogginess" or uncertainty prescribed to the Piscean archetype is a force we must all face at some point in our lives--we must confront the truth. What is the truth? With so many who claim to have different versions, it can be challenging to get clear--but that's what we need right now, absolute clarity. The pursuit of truth, is the path of healing. Both the quest for health and the pursuit of truth are inevitably intwined within the same internal process, each challenges the other. Astrologically, the quest for truth and understanding represented by the polarity of Gemini/Sagittarius is in tension (90 degrees) to the quest for healing/integration and transcendence inherent to the polarity of Pisces/Virgo. Both polarities ignite evolution through their interaction. In order to heal, we must first let go. Let go of what? Let go of what isn't real.

What's real, what's true, is beautiful. Truth leads us to beauty--but--beauty is deceptive, because many believe there are different versions, just as with truth. In my knowing, there is only one truth, one absolute indescribable truth. Everything else is delusion, a trap, seeking to pull us outward and away from what's always honest, real, and authentic. That truth lies within us, deep within us. It's not our thoughts, our ideas, or even our perceptions or experiences--because those are fluid and mutable. The truth is inside us, it is permanent--deep inside each of us, and we know it. We know the truth when we choose to stare it straight in the eye--we know the truth because every fiber of our being resonates to its frequency. As above so below--the ancient hermetic axiom--the eternal truth. That's it. As above so below. We are all connected, everything and everyone. Nothing is disparate, all separation an illusion. All isolation, fear, loneliness, despair, worry, stress, anger, sadness, hunger--illusions--because we are always whole, perfect, and complete. Always.

How can we ever be alone, when we are always connected? With that said, the experience of pain or despair are our teachers, and they offer clues to what needs to be released, what needs to go. If we surrender to these feelings as opposed to judging them, we can follow their lead toward the wounds within us, to the empty spaces that need to be filled with awareness and compassion. Pain brings awareness, and awareness leads to knowledge, which leads us to evolution--and thus we move deeper along the spiral.

There is a powerful force inside each of us, and it's calling for us everyday. Trust it. Let it guide you. The truth knows the way. Pain and despair result from our resistance to truth--ignited by contraction, withdrawl--and psychologically, our inability to let go. Why are we afraid to let go? Because of our illusion of control, our sense of rightness about what we think is the truth--because we are afraid to surrender our illusions--to let go of what isn't real. And that's it. We have a choice. To surrender to our pain, or to numb it out and go back to the illusion. There is no right or wrong answer, because each offers lessons. Both surrender and the illusion of control are pathways toward evolution. Both allow us to fall or ascend the spiral, the great dance of life--and on it goes. Who's to say any one direction is either "good" or "bad", all is relative.

This new moon is very striking, seeing as it conjoins Neptune, after having recently ingressed into Pisces--forming a stellium along with Pallas (Athena) and Chiron. Hmm.....this has the sense of digging out deep wounds, ingrained delusions, and the ultimate truth from the depths of the unconscious--or perhaps, dredging up the haunting images and memories of the past. Needless to say, there could be a lot of residual wounds opening up now, allowing us to peer into them, to integrate them, and to ultimately find resolution and healing. We are also given an opportunity for beginning a process of understanding the root or genesis of our pain, wounds, and inflictions. This New Moon is the seed, meaning it is igniting a process which will unfold over time. Conversely we are equally offered the experience of transcedence, if we can allow ourselves to surrender our control, and simply be guided by our inner truth--our inner bliss.

Mercury and Mars retrograde are in opposition--which will peak Febuary 23. Look out for others who may be argumentative, combative, or angry--or impulsing one to debate with them--perhaps over their version of the truth. Be mindful of this tendency within yourself. In communicating with others try not to get swamped by a stampeade of petty details--because none of that is going to solve anything, it'll just make things more confusing. Instead, take a deep breath, center yourself, and really connect with the inner truth--trust that it is there, and that it will guide you. Speaking from the truth, allows us to simplfy all the non-essentials that create too much noise and distortion. This New Moon can be an opportunity to create more clarity and to shed more light on certain issues in our lives--creating a new cycle which puts us in synch with the higher truth.

Saturn retrograde in Libra trines the New Moon stellium--showing that powerful teachings can be revealed by seeing these past wounds, delusions, and truths reflected in those we relate to--and those around us. Often when presented with this material we're triggered, a part of us seeks to flee away or become angry at the person because they're exposing something deep within ourselves, something we need to let go of. Take a deep look at all that is being shown to you in your immediate environment now--these are the revelations and insights that will help catalyze deep healing. Don't judge it, condemn it, or run-away from what shows up--embrace it , respect it, have tolerance, and compassion for it--because it's apart of you. Nothing is disparate. But also, this could be an opportunity to set boundaries with these forces, through these people, by not allowing ourselves to succumb to their influence once more. Sometimes, looking back at yourself, where you were, can be painful because in hindsight we are able to see our delusions and how we were once lost within them. Accept that there are no mistakes, there are only lessons along the spiral, the great dance of life. And see it all as beautiful--because it's the truth.

Psychic receptivity and intuition are also enhanced now, and this is an excellent time to really go within--tune into yourself and all the subtle impulses within your body and mind. I feel this configuration is somewhat of a map to the transit of Neptune through Pisces (2012-2026). I wrote briefly about this in my last post Full Moon in Leo 2012. Combining this influence with the upcoming square off between Uranus and Pluto (2012-2015), a very interesting showdown is likely to emerge--a countercultural "revolution" fermented with a sense of spiritual reverance and undertone. Wow, what will that look like? Well it's obvious we are all collectively being impulsed back to the womb, back to the mother--there is this insatiable urge deep within us all that is calling us home, so to speak. It feels that as a society we've come to a point of maximum seperation from source--which doesn't mean we won't seperate further, but that many are needing to wake up to this reality for balance to occur. This is likely to manifest as a return to the earth mother, to natural ways, and to seeking out more conscious lifestyles--which is already happening.

It can also mean that our culture has become spiritually dead, devoid of any deeper meaning for the soul (you don't need me to tell you that one.) As a result of this, we are collectively starving for transcendence--apparently starkbucks, facebook, 9-5 jobs, and sub-literate films every weekend don't exactly feed your soul. The frightening ploy is that this sense of emptiness can be easily, and artificially, fulfilled by social movements which work to sweep up those most desperate for change. So my conclusion is to be weary--take a higher path of the Piscean influx, which is to go within--to plunge off the precipice to find the truth within, not without. But like I said, both paths offer lessons.

Take some time to yourself this new moon, get centered and focused, and integrate. Surrender to this powerful force. However, let us be mindful of confusing conscious surrender with unconscious submission. We must take action in life in order for change to happen, and we must do something with insights or revelations received. It's not enough to simply ponder them, eventually we must put them into action in some way, implement them into our own lives. With that said however, this New Moon is about receiving, and being more receptive to the incoming input of the universe. It is likely very challenging to take much action now, because things are so unclear--but the potential is to work through the haze. With Mars retrograde we are still very much in this process of reinforcing and strengthening various aspects of our lives, making sure our position is stronger with something we've already been working on.

Allow yourself to receive, be open, keep your eyes and ears peeled--the universe has much to teach us now if we can quiet our minds and just listen. Most importantly of all, be humble, and realize that not everything is available to make sense of it all at the moment, surrender to the process. The great unfolding of life, the journey along the spiral, has an intention and knows what it's doing. Trust it. There so much more to add to your life, so much more richness and above all, beauty to be had all around. But in order for one to embrace the new, to take in the truth--you first have to let go of what's in your hand.